Bidens to greet India's Modi with lotus blooms, but no Gujarati food

A dish is pictured as U.S. first lady Jill Biden hosts a media preview in advance of Thursday's State Dinner as part of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official visit to the United States, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., June 21, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will welcome Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a White House decorated with peacocks and lotus blooms on Thursday, hosting a vegetarian dinner but no specialties from Modi's home state of Gujarat.

Modi, a strict Hindu who follows a vegetarian diet, will be served a first course that includes a grilled corn kernel salad and tangy avocado sauce, the White House said.